NJ Civil Service Navigator

HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR 3

Code: 44254 State Competitive Range: S17 (FY2026)

Career Family: HOUSEKEEPING SUPERVISOR

Salary: $53,807.26 - $78,268.02/year FY2026 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

Housekeeping Supervisor 3 is a competitive state title, the kind you test for: the exam result, not a hiring manager's pick, decides where you land in line.

It is the lowest-paid of the 3 Housekeeping Supervisor grades, a step below Housekeeping Supervisor 2, whose band tops out about $7,474 higher. What it takes is 2 years of relevant experience. Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $53,807 to $78,268, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Human Services.

How to get hired

  1. Watch for an open-competitive announcement for Housekeeping Supervisor 3 on the NJ Civil Service Commission jobs portal. Announcements run for a fixed filing window.
  2. Apply during that window and sit the examination. Depending on the title, that can be a written test, a rating of your training and experience, or a mix of the two.
  3. Passing scores go onto a ranked eligible list. Veterans get preference points added on top of their score.
  4. When an agency has a vacancy it must appoint from the top of that list under the "Rule of Three." Many competitive jobs are first filled provisionally while the list is being built.

Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.

Pay ladder: Housekeeping Supervisor series

  1. Housekeeping Supervisor 3 — $53,807 – $78,268 (this title)
  2. Housekeeping Supervisor 2 — $58,818 – $85,742
  3. Housekeeping Supervisor 1 — $67,312 – $98,503

Promoting to Housekeeping Supervisor 2 raises the top of the band by about $7,474. Its top salary lands around the 19th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.

Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.

Who employs this title

State payroll records show 1 person working under this title. The median actual salary is $58,699. The agencies employing the most are:

  • Human Services (1)

Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Definition

Under direction, in the smaller state building complexes in a state department, institution, agency or college, organizes and supervises a complete houskeeping program and assigns personnel, recommending appropriate procedures and methods for all housekeeping areas; does related work as required.

Examples of work

  • Plans and carries out the general housekeeping, maintenance, and inspection of assigned wards, employee living areas, office areas, and/or other units.
  • Assists in the preparation of recommendations concerning planning and implementation of proper housekeeping procedures.
  • Gives or supervises the instruction of employees, residents, and inmates concerned with the implementation of housekeeping procedures.
  • Plans, organizes, and assigns the work of the organizational unit and evaluates employee performance and conduct, enabling the effective recommendation of the hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining of subordinates.
  • Works with various department heads to establish the housekeeping programs to meet their needs.
  • Organizes and coordinates the linen and clothing programs, including pickup and distribution of laundry, requisition, and inventory and supervision of the sewing, marking, and mending rooms.
  • Recommends, requisitions, records, issues, and supervises the proper use and care of housekeeping equipment, materials, and supplies.
  • Oversees the condemnation and discarding of worn out housekeeping articles and equipment which cannot be salvaged.
  • Recommends and controls the acquisition of furniture and furnishing, and assumes responsibility for their care and maintenance.
  • Assures that clean, sanitary, orderly, and safe conditions exist in designated areas.
  • Makes oral and written reports.
  • Supervises the maintenance of the essential building service records and files.
  • Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Experience

Two (2) years of general housekeeping experience, one (1) year of which shall have included varied supervisory experience in work connected with housekeeping, sanitation, and maintenance services.

License

Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Knowledge of large scale housekeeping problems, methods, equipment, and routines.
  • Knowledge of the methods used in inspecting areas from the point of view of housekeeping maintenance standards and general order, safety, and sanitation.
  • Knowledge of modern methods and equipment used in sewing, marking, and mending clothing and linens.
  • Knowledge of the procedures used in operating linen rooms.
  • Knowledge of the methods, materials, procedures, and equipment involved in laundry operations.
  • Knowledge of basic personnel practices.
  • Knowledge of the concept of employee evaluation programs.
  • Ability to work effectively with staff supervisors and line personnel.
  • Ability to organize assigned supervisory housekeeping duties and develop effective work methods.
  • Ability to provide advice and assistance to staff regarding clothing and linen requirements and distributions.
  • Ability to plan and supervise the work of assigned employees.
  • Ability to requisition and supervise the proper use, recording, and care of equipment, materials, and supplies.
  • Ability to make reports either orally or in writing.
  • Ability to supervise the maintenance of the necessary houskeeping service records and files.
  • Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
  • CODES: S17- DDC 11/17/94

Note

In the Department of Human Services, may be required to undergo fire training.